The Tech TL;DR:

• Project Scope: Construction launch for a brand-new manufacturing site on rue Lescure within the Écoparc Dijon-Bourgogne in Saint-Apollinaire.
• Timeline: Groundbreaking ceremony officially took place on Thursday, September 24, continuing a multi-year operational rebuild that began with local market appearances in October 2022.
• Leadership & Stakeholders: Led by René Loquet, Président Directeur Général, with regional figures including Dijon Mayor Nathalie Koenders, Région Bourgogne-Franche-Comté President Jérôme Durain, Dijon métropole President François Rebsamen, and Saint-Apollinaire Mayor Frédéric Goulier in attendance.

Industrial Reconstruction in Côte-d’Or

The event establishes a physical footprint for the company's manufacturing expansion in the Côte-d’Or department. René Loquet, Président Directeur Général of the Chocolaterie de Bourgogne, presented the construction schedule and structural layout during the morning ceremony on rue Lescure. The project aims to anchor the company’s production lines locally after years of supply chain and operational dislocation.

Attendees included Nathalie Koenders, Mayor of Dijon; Jérôme Durain, President of the Région Bourgogne-Franche-Comté; François Rebsamen, President of Dijon métropole; and Frédéric Goulier, Mayor of Saint-Apollinaire and vice-president of Dijon métropole.

From 2021 Liquidation to Operational Recovery

The new site represents a second wind for a brand that suffered a major disruption. In March 2021, the former Dijon factory halted all operations following a judicial liquidation that affected 68 workers. The brand initiated a gradual commercial return in October 2022 by participating in a local producers’ market in Fénay, setting the stage for the current industrial scale-up at the Écoparc.

Project Timeline and Milestones

• March 2021: Previous Dijon manufacturing plant ceases operations due to judicial liquidation, impacting 68 employees.
• October 2022: Brand re-emerges commercially at a local producers’ market in Fénay.
• September 24: Groundbreaking ceremony held on rue Lescure in the Écoparc Dijon-Bourgogne, marking the official launch of the Saint-Apollinaire production facility.